After well over a decade serving as the FDNY’s official mascot and morale-booster, Twenty the Dalmatian has passed away.
The Ladder 20 Co. lost seven individuals on the 35th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center—an irreplaceable group of people among the 343 brave fighters the New York City Fire Department lost as a whole.
FDNY Lieutenant Gary Iorio of Ladder 20 was quoted in a Facebook post on the FDNY page:
In the days that followed, condolences from around the world arrived. Everyone was knocking on our door. Then one day two Sheriffs from Rochester, New York showed up with a Dalmatian puppy. Her name was Twenty, and she became our mascot and companion.
Twenty fit right in at the station and really helped boost spirits during an extremely difficult time. Iorio continued:
She went on all the runs, she’d jump in the truck, stick her head out the window and bark. She became a local celebrity. Today, Twenty has taken her final run to Heaven. Rest in peace, man’s best friend.
We can’t thank Twenty enough for simply being there for the men and women at Ladder 20, whether that meant sharing some cuddles, hopping in the truck for company, or just reminding people that not all is lost in the world.
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Facebook user Mareen Dahulich said it perfectly:
She sure was SPECIAL!!
It was awesome to watch her jump into that truck. She walked around the fire station like she owned it, and I guess she DID! Probably the only fire fighter that truly never went home!!
Twenty was without a doubt a best friend to all, and as another Facebook commenter put it: “The rest of Ladder 20 was there to greet her!”
Thank you, Twenty. You’ll definitely be missed.
